Pocono News Section

Williamsport Resident's Rally for Kohl's

Williamsport Resident's Rally for Kohl's - Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 10:27PM EST

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 @ 10:27pm EST
WILLIAMSPORT, LYCOMING COUNTY- There's controversy in Williamsport as the plan to bring
a Kohl's department store to the downtown could be in
jeopardy.
Concerned citizens and business owners held a rally at
memorial park.
There have been disagreements between city council and
the mayor's administration over how to proceed with the
Kohl's situation. Some are blaming politics, others are
worried about finances.
But those who gathered for the rally are saying, let's
put differences aside, and do what's best for the city of
Williamsport.
It was just a few months ago Mayor Gabe Campana
announced a deal that could bring a Kohl's Department Store
to Williamsport.
The announcement was met with applause from those
looking to inject new life into the city's downtown.
Brian Martino, of Martino Insurance, said, "We need an
anchor store to bring traffic downtown and that'll help
everybody- business people, citizens, everyone in the
area."
Bonnie Katz, owner of Le Chocolat, noted, "We do have
some incredibly great stores down here, but to have a
presence of a Kohl's would make it even better. We need
more feet on the sidewalk here, and that's what we're
looking for."
Bringing Kohl's in would require moving the Williamsport
Area School District Service Center, demolishing the
building, and having the property ready for Kohl's to begin
construction by Spring of 2009.
But some members of city council have balked at the idea
of spending millions of dollars with only a letter of
intent and not a binding contractual agreement from Kohl's
officials.
Katz added, "I think the finances are being looked at
very narrow-mindedly here, instead of looking at the end
results down the line several years of what a store like
that will bring to the city."
The mayor's office says further delays might cause
Kohl's to pull out of the project.
Some have compared this situation to one back in the
1970's, where many blamed that council's inaction for the
Lycoming Mall locating outside the city.
Business owners and citizens and some elected officials
gathered here hope to urge council not to let that happen
again.
Martino explained, "Any business invests back into their
business. It's time for the city to invest back in the
city."
Council president Marlyne Whaley says council is being
unfairly blamed for stalling progress on the deal, and that
she is acting in the best interest of the city.
Whaley says she will have no further comment on the
situation unless it is at a public meeting with all council
members present.
That would likely be on September 4th, unless a special
meeting is requested between now and then.